I'm taking a short break over April. In the meantime, I want you to send me your creative health story!

Do you have a creative health story you'd like to share which could inspire other people? Send me an audio recording, no more than 5 minutes long, about how you're engaging with creativity for health or wellbeing to include on the podcast. Or write it down in no more that 750 words and I may read it out.

Tell me about you and what you do:

Your name (anonymous is fine too), maybe where you live, your age, your gender, your ethnicity, your job, anything else interesting about you (all optional).

Describe what creative activities you do and the impact they have on your health or wellbeing.

You don't have to be professionally trained and your creative activity can be anything from cooking and gardening through to dance, writing, body art and everything in between. Anything creative!

Record your story on your phone (e.g. Voice Memos on iPhone or Voice Recorder app on Android) and send it via email with the subject 'My Creative Health Story' to: laura@creative-health.co.uk

By sending me your audio recording and images you agree for them to be edited and published in part or full on my website, podcast, socials or part of an associated project.

Creative Health Stories website

@creativehealthstories

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Mark Kilbey is former police officer and detective who retired from the force after 20 years through mental ill-health after which followed a long period of mental illness including suicide attempts. He set up the peer-led mental health charity Take Off to support people in similar situations. Sarah Winn is a theatre maker who works with young offenders, vulnerable adults and diverse communities . After the loss of her cousin by suicide, Sarah set out to create a piece of verbatim theatre to highlight the issues around male mental health and suicide.

In this episode Mark and Sarah share their own stories and how they came together to make the play called 'No one Here Is Me', the impact of the process and the performance, and how the process has forged an incredible friendship between them.

*** Please note, the episode includes discussions around severe mental illness and suicide ***

Links:

Take Off

No one Here Is Me

Portrait Theatre

Wellbeing in the Arts

Socials:

@sarahwinnactor

@dreamwinn

@TakeOff_charity

If you're struggling with your own mental health, or you're having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone else who is, please seek help.

Places you can contact include:

Mind - Seeking help for a mental health problem

National Suicide Prevention helpline: Call 0800 689 5652

SOS Silence of Suicide Call 0300 1020 505

Samaritans Call 116 123

Childline (under 19s) Call 0800 1111

If you fear for someone's immediate safety, guide them to Accident and Emergency or dial 999 for immediate assistance

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Amal Lad is a GP and musician from Birmingham who has made a career out of exploring the intersection between art and medicine. His ability to reveal the connection between music and well-being has been recognised by the BBC and TEDxNHS, as well as countless listeners around the globe. He is the host of the Creative Medicine podcast, which also explores how people use creativity to improve health and wellbeing. Along with being a GP and podcast host Amal composes and releases his own music and is studying for a Masters in Performing Arts Medicine at UCL.

Our conversation covers 'self medicating', the role of a GP and the challenges faced in general practice and the wider NHS, along with Amal's own passion for the healing power of music and the arts. He's a super motivated and compassionate human being.

Please consider supporting the making of this podcast via Patreon

Links:

Website: https://www.amallad.com

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/amal-lad

Socials:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amalladmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amal.lad

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/AmalLadMusic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amal.lad.music

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/AmalLadMusic

@creativehealthstories

Edited by @podcastpenny

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.